Migrants and the Making of Modern Scotland: Comparing Historical Accounts of Migrant Life
Conference,
University of Strathclyde,
Friday 4 September, 2009.
Rationale
This one-day conference was organised with sponsorship by the Modern British History Network and the support of the Universities of the West of Scotland and Strathclyde.
Prompted by my own research interest in Irishness in 19th C Glasgow, and what I see as the dynamic, evolutionary relationship of so-called ‘exiles’ with host society and institutions, this gathering of active researchers was primarily intended as an opportunity for comparative discussion and reflection on the migrant experience in Scotland. Taking place in this ‘Homecoming Scotland’ year with its consequent focus on emigration, it was felt that this conference could demonstrate the importance of in-migration in the ‘making’ of Scotland.
Aims
So, just to put it in more formal terms the conference was intended to:
- Provide an opportunity for historians with established interests in migrant life in Scotland to learn from each other’s experience of trying to deal with migrant identity and the wider question of the nationhood/ethinicity, class and gender in modern Scotland
- Provide an opportunity for them to meet each other face to face and promote the beginnings of a mutually-beneficial network
- Give interested postgraduates the opportunity to hear findings of recent research and prompt them to explore the possibility of comparative work.
Outcome
Potential speakers with existing interests in particular experience of Jewish, Irish, Italian,
Lithuanian, etc migrants in Scotland had been approached and a general call for papers
had been made via a conference webpage. Particular efforts were also made to contact
History depts, relevant societies and holders of mailing lists in order to reach
postgraduates. Though focus was on postgraduates in Scottish HEIs, efforts were also
made to draw in participants outwith Scotland. In total, in line with my early predictions
of 15-20, a total of 18 attended, 9 of them speakers. 4 postgraduates were able to attend
as a result of bursaries awarded.
The value of the conference was in largely meeting the aims above.
Questions/discussion on ‘narratives of belonging’ among Italian and Jewish migrants and
an apparently harsher reality; a lively final debate on the usefulness of the term ‘migrant’,
and the related question of the appropriateness of terms such as ‘community’ or the use
of ‘categories’ when discussing identity – both were good examples of the way in which
historians were thinking comparatively about migrant experiences. Also, a discussion on
the possibility of a published collection of papers arising from the conference was
indicative of the impetus gained from the face-to-face contacts at the event. Postgraduates
in informal feedback enjoyed the event and the chance to meet a group of specialist
speakers was much appreciated. Overall, anecdotally, I felt that this conference had
started attendees thinking about the need for a more thematic approach to migrants in
Scotland and challenged them to place migrant identity more firmly in the context of
changing ideas of Scottishness/Britishness. This, I believe, was the key benefit of the
event and something that has long been necessary in order to bring the historiography of
migrants in Scotland up to speed with intellectual developments in USA and Europe.
If you have questions or enquiries about any aspect of the conference, please feel free to contact the conference organiser, Dr Terry McBride (terry.mcbride@uws.ac.uk).
Downloads
Conference organisers
Dr Terry McBride,
School of Social Sciences,
University of the West of Scotland.
